Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and an image forming management apparatus, configured to print a base image and an overprint image with the same apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a transfer medium on the basis of image data, sometimes a base image is first printed on a transfer medium, and then overprinting is applied to the transfer medium.
When overprinting is applied, base image output and overprint image output are conventionally performed by different image forming apparatuses in many cases. For example, base image output is performed by a color enabled image forming apparatus, and overprint image output is performed by a monochrome enabled image forming apparatus. In such a system, when a jam occurs during overprint image output and a paper sheet on which a base image is printed is removed by jam processing, an image forming apparatus for outputting a base image creates a paper sheet on which the base image is printed to make up for a shortage.
When overprinting is performed, good consistency between a base image and an overprint image is required. Thus, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-108828 (Patent Literature 1) proposes an image forming apparatus including a reading unit that reads out an image on a paper sheet housed in a paper sheet housing unit; and a comparison unit that compares reading image data acquired by reading of the reading unit with image data on an image data for an overprint paper sheet. In Patent Literature 1, a print error occurring in overprinting is prevented to enable a correct image to be formed on an overprint paper sheet.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-252647 (Patent Literature 2) proposes an apparatus capable of detecting a misprint in an image forming unit by comparing an image acquired by superimposing image data on a first image previously formed on a recording medium and input image data for forming an image on a recording medium, with a second image formed on the recording medium after image forming. This enables a misprint to be accurately detected when overprinting is performed.
In a case where print of a base image and overprinting are performed by the same image forming apparatus, once a jam occurs when an overprint image is printed, a paper sheet on which a base image is printed is to be removed by jam processing.